Work emails! For most of us -- except maybe for quirky characters like Dwight Schrute and Leslie Knope -- they can feel like a total nightmare.
If you’re one of the rare ones who love rules and CC’ing half the company on every reply, like it's an act of public service, you might just see things differently.
But for the rest of us, those friendly, sneaky emails might look nice on the surface, but underneath, there’s often a hidden world of passive-aggressive tones.
The cheerful "Hope you're doing well!" that actually means: "Why haven’t you replied yet?" or the casual "Just a quick reminder!" which really says: "You need to get this done ASAP!"
Work emails are nowadays like an elaborate game of “polite” warfare, where people pretend to be nice when in reality they are just about done with you.
Let’s decode what work email phrases may really mean, shall we?
1. Per my last email
“Did you even read what I sent you?”
Nothing screams “I am annoyed” like this one. It is kind of the equivalent of the smiley face emoji.
You probably explained something to them multiple times, but they still managed to eff it up.
2. Just circling back
“Still waiting for the task I assigned you. HELLO?”
You are probably losing all patience with the person and wondering if they have forgotten about the task or been kidnapped.
Work emails are nowadays like an elaborate game of ‘polite’ warfare
3. Just a friendly reminder
“I have informed you about this before, don’t make me say it again”
This is a classic. Adding “friendly” in the text may create an illusion of sunshine and rainbows, but you know if they miss the deadline again, you’d throw your computer out the window.
4.Thanks in advance for prioritizing this
“You better prioritize this task, or else…”
This applies just the right amount of pressure without you directly telling them to drop everything else in their life and make this their star-marked top priority.
5. Looking forward to your prompt response
“I am watching the clocks like a hawk on caffeine. Finish your task and send your inputs.”
You’ve probably finished your part of the assignment, but of course, you can’t move on with your life because you have to wait for someone else to get their act together.
So there you have it -- your crash course in the fine art of passive-aggressive email communication. Embrace the chaos of digital diplomacy!
Farha Mehzabin is a staff sub-editor, Dhaka Tribune.